Donna Mena

A night out with fellow CCA friends along the Embarcadero.

Dressed up as a ballot box for Halloween 2020.

Picture taken at the West Coast Craft fair.

What did you do before you came to CCA? Why did you decide to study Urban Works?

Prior to CCA, I was working on high-end residential homes primarily based in the Bay Area. I knew that working in a pure architecture firm was not what I wanted to do long-term, and my interest in urban design was growing the longer I lived in cities. I knew that if I went back to school, I wanted to find a program with a strong art foundation. As someone keen on interdisciplinary practices, it was important to surround myself with designers from all different fields and backgrounds, not just architects.

Can you describe your time at CCA? What were some of the projects you did or were involved in that meant the most to you, and what did you learn from your time here?

One of my favorite projects at CCA was for an assignment in my Contemporary Cartography class. We were asked to use a medium that we had not used before and ‘map’ whatever we wanted. I decided to record sounds across San Francisco - Muni light rail, ocean beach waves, giants games, to name a few - and compiled them into a website so anyone could listen to cities through their computer. I loved that project and you can still access the website!

My final drawing for the California City project, Fall of 2019.

A community in the California desert where a fictitious environmental-tech company is developing robotic agricultural robot arms named Alice.

Close-up view of one of the circle modules highlighting the positive effects Alice would have on the infrastructure.

Final axonometric site plan of an alternative proposal for Mission Rock.

Orchard Road Case Study

As a UWA RA, I helped Apocalypse Now! Studio set up graphic standards for the students that would be used throughout the semester. This is a very of Orchard Road, one of the case studies covered in the studio.

Block Party parklet

Friends and volunteers came together to help paint the Block Party parklet.

Block Party parklet

The parklet was designed for a nail salon in the NOPA neighborhood.

Egg Scarf, scarf no. 1 in my latest endeavor, Scarf Scarf.

Each scarf focuses on an architectural or urban theme using food as a mediator. By using garmentry as the medium, my hope is that the conversation on design can be disseminated to everyone, not just those in the architectural profession.

Posing with Fish Scale Scarf

Block Party parklet

What kind of work have you done since you graduated? How has your education and experience at CCA related to that work?

Oh man, lots of stuff! I designed and built a Shared Spaces parklet, I started an architecture+food themed scarf company called ohnoscarfs and I’ve begun work on a children’s coloring book featuring street amenities (such as light posts and crosswalks). CCA was a special place because I was able to explore a side of myself that I didn't know existed. The artistic and creative side that we forget to tap into when we’re working in a highly technical profession. Since graduating, I’ve found ways to successfully merge my various interests into projects and studies. I’m excited to see what else I can come up with this year!